Yeah, that's roughly what it looks like. Mind you the original layout Did go through a small change during the 60's when the engines Daisy and Mavis came along. Two more sidings were created to allow extra storage for the engines and so that train operations can be carried out with ease. I've take a leaf from this and have slightly altered my fiddle yards to incorporate and extra siding to story the quarry trains. You can also see where I've marked the locations on which engine goes to which sidings. This also makes layout operation much easier as with only one siding for the quarry was often quite tricky to work with and at times crane shunting was needed a number of times.You will also notice over by the cattle dock sidings (CD) that a section break is installed. This was more or less done for the purpose of the layout's operation and to make this a lot easier for me when following the original operational guide.

So it's been a while now since I've posted an update here so lets see what I have in store for the layout. Well right now there is not a lot to get sorted out now apart from prepping the layout for it's next show at the Friends of Cultra Model Railway show next month. A TV crew will be visiting next week to film the layout to promote the show so that will be something to look out for near the time. With my work taking most of my time, I still find ways to take time off and to run the layout in a bit to get some inspiration for ideas and also to think of my next project which is also has a thread here but that won't begin until after the Cultra show. Really the only thing that the layout needs to finish it is the enthusiast's train to be made. This ill appear during the final stages of the layout's operation where visiting engine, Stepney, will appear and will be towing two saloon coaches made up from modified Dapol rails kits. My model of Stepney, made from a Keyser kit. I might not have them ready in time for the show but it will be something for me to work on during it.

What a remarkable recreation of an icon. Ahem, I do rather prefer them without the faces, but that begs the question, when did the faces come in to being, or did the 1950's technology didn't lend itself to faces, (unless one wanted to carve it out of plaster)?

Chops wrote:What a remarkable recreation of an icon. Ahem, I do rather prefer them without the faces, but that begs the question, when did the faces come in to being, or did the 1950's technology didn't lend itself to faces, (unless one wanted to carve it out of plaster)?

There was an article in an issue of Model Maker magazine from March 1953 which shows 7mm model versions of the characters and their faces were made from hardening clay. But the Reverend never put faces on his engines which is what I also want to do as well.

That hand painted Stepney is without rival. It is an exquisite example what was done in an age before decals, printers, and decal sheets. I can barely draw a wobbly line, let alone paint something like that. It is a rare pleasure to see.

So a little update for everyone. For those living in Northern Ireland will know that the Ffarquhar Branch will be returning to this years friends of Cultra show held at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum. The night before the show The layout will be featuring on the evening programme, UTV Life. Instead of the TV coming down to my house, I was asked instead to bring the layout to the venue so it could be filmed there and for me to be given a brief interview. If I have time this weekend I'll see about making up the last bits of rolling stock for Stepney to pull when making his appearance on the layout.

I'll ask you the same question that someone once asked me, "Why are Stepney's coupling rods upside down".My answer was that there was insufficient clearance to stop the tabs, which are supposed to represent oil pots, fouling on the underside of the footplate, and I'd not got around to filing them down. My preference is for flat stamped rods to leave them off, and include them on fluted rods where space permits.It's still a very nice looking loco.

Bufferstop wrote:I'll ask you the same question that someone once asked me, "Why are Stepney's coupling rods upside down".My answer was that there was insufficient clearance to stop the tabs, which are supposed to represent oil pots, fouling on the underside of the footplate, and I'd not got around to filing them down. My preference is for flat stamped rods to leave them off, and include them on fluted rods where space permits.It's still a very nice looking loco.

I didn't noticed the side rods were upside down until during the painting stages of the model. This must have been done by the previous owner but the procedure is simple enough to fix them.

When I made my model of the Furness Railway No20 I didn't make any allowance for the fact that my footplate would scale out at 3inches thick, or that the crank pin throw of the wheels I was using was greater than on the prototype. As a result not only did I have to fit the rods upside down I had to file down the width of the metal around the bearing hole. That was the point at which I decided putting a motor bogie with spoked wheels under the tender had been the right decision. Those rods were never going to have to handle any torque.